Wine: Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto 2019

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Designation: IGT

Brand/Producer: Tenuta dell’Ornellaia

Grape Varietal: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Type: Red

Code: 6885

Producer

Masseto is a rare, single vineyard wine made from Merlot grapes grown on the vineyard bearing the same name. Located in the vaunted Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Masseto was first released in 1986 and quickly gained a reputation as one of the world's most sought after and extremely allocated wines.

Where the Masseto vineyard now stands, there was once a coastal marsh centuries ago, over which clay deposits formed. The clay was covered by thick deposits of gravel, sand and rock fragments. This geologically diverse terroir is one reason Merlot thrives in the Masseto vineyard. Another contributor is the combination of Mediterranean sun and a gentle wind that keeps the temperatures moderate during the summer. 

Critical Acclaim

Vivino 4.6

99 points James Suckling

Intense aromas of blackberries and black olives, together with hints of rosemary bush and lavender. Perfumed and nuanced. Full-bodied, yet so tight and integrated, with weightless tannins that frame the wine in a precise and curated fashion. Very structured and built for aging. 

98 points Wine Spectator

Tightly wound now, with blackberry, black currant, iron, rosemary, cedar and toasty oak spice aromas and flavors. Though firm and compact, this has plenty of fruit that persists on the vibrant, lingering and complex finish. Reveals very refined tannins. 

98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This bottle opens a new chapter for one of Italy's most celebrated and collected wines. The first vintage made entirely in its dedicated state-of-the-art winery (and the first vintage with a 10% dabble of Cabernet Franc added to what has historically always been a pure expression of Merlot), the Masseto 2019 Masseto has two main themes at heart: concentration and elegance. And managing those two seemingly contrasting elements requires a little bit of magic. That's the Masseto magic we look for. The 2019 vintage delivers it in spades with lovely concentrated fruit, blackberry, integrated spice, tobacco, crushed slate, pencil shaving and lots of texture and fiber to push a lasting mouthfeel. The wine's richness translates into density and power to the palate, meanwhile the bouquet reveals fluidity and new sides as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is tapered and focused.